Chayote Braised with Abalone Slices
A Zhejiang-style dish braised with chayote and pearl abalone, featuring vibrant presentation and a tender, refreshingly crisp texture.
Ingredients
chayote (washed and sliced)
200 g
canned pearl abalone (sliced)
1 can
ham slices
25 g
chicken tenders
25 g
winter bamboo shoot slices
25 g
olive vegetable stems (cut into diamond-shaped pieces)
25 g
chicken broth
500 g
salt
to taste
MSG
to taste
white pepper
to taste
sugar
to taste
Shaoxing wine
to taste
minced garlic
to taste
sesame oil
to taste
refined oil (for velveting)
to taste
wet cornstarch (for thickening)
to taste
Instructions
1
Blanch and Reserve
Wash the chayote and slice it. Slice the pearl abalone. Along with the ham slices, chicken tenders, winter bamboo shoot slices, and olive vegetable stems cut into diamond-shaped pieces, blanch everything together in boiling water, then set aside.
2
Velvet
Heat the wok and pour in the refined oil. When the oil reaches about 30 percent hot, add the main and secondary ingredients to velvet them, then drain through a strainer and set aside.
3
Braise and Thicken
Leave a little oil in the wok, saute the minced garlic and minced ginger until fragrant. Add the chicken broth, then season with salt, MSG, white pepper, sugar, and Shaoxing wine. When the broth comes to a boil, add the main and secondary ingredients and let the broth return to a boil for 2 minutes. Drizzle in the wet cornstarch slurry, stir to combine evenly with a ladle, drizzle with sesame oil, then transfer to an abalone serving bowl and bring to the table.
